Another Passover-friendly recipe? Absolutely. I’m always looking for ways to bake with vibrant fruits and vegetables, and purple sweet potatoes have recently become a favorite. I’ve used them in a purple sweet potato pie and even purple sweet potato gnocchi. This time, with some cream cheese on hand, I decided to make a purple sweet potato cheesecake. Because it was Passover, a regular graham crust wasn’t an option, so I experimented with a matzo meal and ground nut crust—and it worked beautifully.
If you’re not observing Passover, feel free to use a graham cracker or cookie crust instead. That said, the matzo-meal-and-almond crust I developed is surprisingly tasty. The filling turned out creamy and slightly earthy, with just the right amount of sweetness. For a finishing touch I made candied sweet potato roses—but those are optional and purely decorative.
This is a small cheesecake—about six inches in diameter—so it’s perfect for a small household or anyone baking for themselves. Despite its size, it makes a lovely, elegant dessert with a striking purple hue.
Passover Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake
A small, Passover-friendly purple sweet potato cheesecake. The crust is inspired by Epicurious and the filling is adapted from My Baking Addiction.
Dessert
passover cheesecake, passover desserts, purple sweet potato dessert, purple sweet potato recipe, sweet potato cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1/3 cup matzo meal
- 3/8 cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted
- pinch salt
- 1/3 cup sugar see notes
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
For the filling:
- 8 oz. (1 package) cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 medium purple sweet potato (about 2/3 lb.), baked or roasted until soft
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- large pinch cinnamon
- small pinch ground ginger
- small pinch freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
To decorate:
- sweet potato roses (recipe below)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 F.
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In a food processor, pulse the matzo meal and almonds until the almonds are finely ground. Add the sugar, a pinch of salt, and the melted butter, and process until the mixture is evenly moistened and begins to clump.
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Press the crust mixture onto the bottom and at least one inch up the sides of a 6-inch springform pan. Bake 12–15 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Let cool while you prepare the filling.
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Scoop the flesh from the roasted sweet potato and puree it in a food processor or blender, or press it through a food mill. Set aside. Crack the egg into a small bowl, lightly beat, and set aside.
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In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and continue beating until the sugar is fully incorporated.
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With the mixer on low, add the lightly beaten egg a little at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed, until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
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Beat in the vanilla, spices, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, then fold in the pureed sweet potato until evenly combined.
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Wrap the springform pan in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil—this protects the cake when baking in a water bath.
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Spoon the filling into the prepared crust. If your pan is shallow you may not be able to fit all the filling; you can bake any extra in a small ramekin.
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Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a larger roasting pan and carefully add boiling water until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the springform. Bake 30–35 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight wobble. The cheesecake may puff in the oven.
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Turn off the oven but leave the cheesecake inside with the door propped open for about one hour to cool gradually.
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Remove the cheesecake from the oven, unwrap the foil, and refrigerate for at least eight hours, or overnight, until fully chilled and set.
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When chilled, release the springform sides and transfer the cake to a serving plate. Top with candied sweet potato roses if desired.
Recipe Notes
– Depending on the depth of your springform pan (mine is about 1.5 inches) you may not be able to fit every last bit of filling; bake any extra in a ramekin if you like.
– Oven time varies with pan depth. Mine finished around 35 minutes; check for doneness at 30 minutes to avoid overbaking.
– For the crust sugar I used a mix of granulated and raw cane sugar, but you can substitute all granulated or brown sugar depending on preference and availability.
Candied Sweet Potato Roses
Dessert
candied sweet potato roses, sweet potato roses, sweet potato rosettes
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 225 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease a mini muffin tin.
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Peel the sweet potato and cut it into quarters. Use a Swiss vegetable peeler to shave thin half-moon strips from each quarter.
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In a small saucepan combine the sugar and water and heat over medium until the sugar dissolves and the mixture simmers.
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Add the sweet potato strips to the simmering syrup and cook for about 5 minutes to soften and candy them lightly.
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Transfer the strips to the prepared parchment-lined sheets in a single layer and bake at 225 F for 10 minutes.
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Remove the sheets from the oven. To form a rose, roll one strip into a tight center and continue wrapping additional strips around it, overlapping slightly, until you reach the desired size. Place each finished rose into a cup of the mini muffin tin.
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Return the roses in the muffin tin to the oven and bake for about an hour, until dry and crisp. Turn off the oven and allow them to dry further inside for at least another hour or overnight for best results.
